All Features
Mike Figliuolo
Anyone who has ever seen a crew team rowing down the river has likely wondered why one person is a passenger and everyone else in the boat is rowing like mad. It would seem the coxswain has the easiest job in the boat.
It’s actually incredibly difficult, and my 16-year-old daughter (who is a…
Nicolas Lachaud-Bandres
Imagine a factory where quality assurance actually increases the production speed. Advanced metrology equipment is well on the way to making this a reality by introducing new levels of connectivity with other pieces of equipment and software throughout the factory.
Communication between different…
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL: Oak Ridge, TN) -- Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have been leading a project to understand how a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, could threaten power plants.
A nuclear weapon detonated hundreds of miles in the air emits a…
(Ansys: Pittsburgh) -- Ansys has collaborated with TSMC and Microsoft to validate a joint solution for analyzing mechanical stresses in multi-die 3D-IC systems manufactured with TSMC’s 3DFabric advanced packaging technologies. This team effort gives customers added confidence to address novel…
Master Gage and Tool Co.
Calibration is essential in almost every facet of industrial processes. The calibration process verifies test instrument accuracy by comparison with recognized standards, and measurement validity hinges on one crucial concept: traceability.
Traceability adherence ensures a continuous link between…
Ian Wright
Curing time is the Achilles heel of multimaterial 3D printing. Typically, a multimaterial 3D printer uses thousands of nozzles to deposit resins, which are then smoothed with a scraper or roller before being cured with ultraviolet (UV) light. As a result, this process is constrained by how quickly…
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is seeking candidates for the 2024 Baldrige Executive Fellows Program, a year-long leadership development experience designed to facilitate dialogue on all aspects of leadership and how it relates to a visionary focus, strategy…
(Dürr: Southfield, MI) -- Plastic parts are often painted using conventional spray guns. But with prices for materials and cleaning rising, high-speed rotary atomizers are becoming more cost-effective. Valeo, a global technology company, is using Dürr's EcoBell technology for the first time at its…
Scott A. Hindle, Douglas C. Fair
Parts 1, 2, and 3 of our series on statistical process control (SPC) have shown how data can be thoughtfully used to enable learning and improvement—and consequently, better product quality and lower production costs. Another area of SPC to tap into is that of measurement methods. How do we ensure…
Etienne Nichols
At one point in my career, after managing design controls and risk management documentation, I decided to move on.
When the day came to put in my two-week notice, I walked over to another engineer’s cubicle with the news. “From now on,” I said, “design controls are yours.”
I’ll never forget the…
Lee Simmons
Why are some pro sports teams perennial contenders while others can’t seem to get out of the cellar? Great players are essential, but that’s not enough. Often, the unheralded MVPs of a successful team are people who wear suits, not uniforms, to work.
In his research, George Foster, the Konosuke…
(AMT: McLean, VA) -- September 2023 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $201.4 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and the Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report collaboration,…
(L.S. Starrett: Athos, MA) -- L.S. Starrett Co., a global manufacturer of precision metrology systems and measuring tools and gauges, will be featuring the automated inspection capabilities of its metrology and force measurement systems at ATX West, an Informa Advanced Manufacturing show co-located…
(MasterControl: Salt Lake City) -- MasterControl, a leading provider of quality management and next-generation manufacturing execution software, has announced a major milestone with more than 150 customers adopting Manufacturing Excellence, its modern manufacturing execution system (MES),…
Mike Figliuolo
Nothing annoys me more than being told how to do something. It’s OK to have an opinion, but to position oneself as having the authority of an expert and tell others the right and wrong way to do something is a slippery slope. Unless you’re instructing someone on brain surgery, defusing a bomb, or…
Margaret Graziano
Dealing with troubling workplace environments can be difficult. It’s not always clear what the deeper issue is, and the friction and conflict that breeds can be tough to reverse.
At the heart of any organization are its people. Without a dedicated, aligned, and fully engaged workforce, no progress…
(Canon Medical: Irvine, CA) Canon Medical Components USA (CMCU)/Digital Radiography (DR) (https://mcu.canon), global leaders in advanced flat-panel detectors (FPDs), X-ray components, X-ray tubes, and innovative imaging software, has introduced a clinical white paper, ““An Analysis of Canon…
(Nanoscribe: Karlsruhe, Germany) -- Nanoscribe, a BICO company, has introduced a new 3D microfabrication technology called 3D printing by 2GL.
Two-photon grayscale lithography (2GL) is setting new standards for 3D nano- and microfabrication. The technology merges the high resolution of two-photon…
Donald J. Wheeler
Fourteen years ago, I published “Do You Have Leptokurtophobia?” Based on the reaction to that column, the message was needed. In this column, I would like to explain the symptoms of leptokurtophobia and the cure for this pandemic affliction.
Leptokurtosis is a Greek word that literally means “thin…
Graham Ward
In the workplace, we are often in a semidependent state. We seek approval and guidance from colleagues and superiors, all while hiding our deepest vulnerabilities.
Our insecurities drive us to seek external validation, which shapes our actions and decisions. In essence, we exhibit what…
(DNV: Høvik, Norway) -- DNV, a risk management and assurance company, has published a suite of recommended practices (RPs) that will enable companies operating critical devices, assets, and infrastructure to safely apply artificial intelligence (AI).
High-quality AI systems require strong building…
(Capgemini: Paris) -- The 15th edition of the World Quality Report, published by Capgemini, Sogeti, and OpenText, highlights the rising importance of quality engineering (QE) to enhance both sustainability in business operations and value delivery to customers and end users. According to the report…
Henning Piezunka, Sanghyun Park, Linus Dahlander
In the quest for groundbreaking solutions, businesses actively seek a wide range of distinct ideas. However, the suggestions they receive—whether from employees or external contributors—eventually end up being quite similar. Why does this happen?
Our research shows that businesses influence the…
NIST
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues have built a superconducting camera containing 400,000 pixels—400 times more than any other device of its type.
Superconducting cameras allow scientists to capture very weak light signals, whether from…
(Starrett: Athol, MA) -- The L.S. Starrett Co., a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, metrology systems and more, has introduced three wireless electronic depth gages made in the United States: W640JZ, W643JZ, and W644JZ.
They are part of a line of more than 40 new…
